Archaeological Review of County Towns in Xuantu Commandery —Focusing on the 1st Century BCE to the 2nd Century CE

This study aims to re-examine the archaeological characteristics of the county-town fortifications (郡縣城) of Xuantu Commandery (玄菟郡), focusing on the period from the 1st century BCE to the 2nd century CE in Northeast China. Previous research on the Xuantu Commandery has concentrated mainly on textual records, such as the identification of commandery sites, while archaeological investigations have been insufficient. To address this gap, this paper analyzes fourteen fortifications located in Huanren (桓仁), Ji’an (集安), Baishan (白山), Tonghua (通化), Xinbin (新賓), and Fushun (撫順), with particular attention to construction techniques, internal facilities, and excavated artifacts. The results indicate that in the middle reaches of the Amnok River (鴨綠江) and Hun River (渾江), the fortifications display clear characteristics of Goguryeo (高句麗) construction, making it difficult to associate them directly with Xuantu Commandery. In contrast, in the mountainous Tonghua region and the Suzi River (蘇子河) basin, sites such as Chibaishong Fortress (赤柏松古城), Yongling South Fortress (永陵南城), and Baiqibao Fortress (白旗堡古城) reveal rammed-earth walls and Han-period architectural remains and artifacts, suggesting a stronger connection with Xuantu Commandery. In particular, Yongling South Fortress is identified as the administrative center of the Second Xuantu Commandery during the mid-Western Han (前漢) to the early 2nd century CE. In the middle reaches of the Hun River (渾河), fortresses such as Dongzhou Fortress (東洲古城) and the Laodong Park Fortress (勞動公園古城) continued to be used until the Eastern Han (後漢), with evidence of reuse by Goguryeo. These findings contribute to clarifying the reality of Xuantu’s county-town fortifications, which had previously been understood mainly through textual descriptions, by presenting concrete archaeological patterns and their continuity with Goguryeo. Furthermore, this study holds significance for elucidating the structure of local governance under the Han Commanderies (漢郡縣) and for understanding the broader development of ancient fortification history in Northeast Asia.